4 days; lots of progress and our horses are actually at our barn

Wow time flies. The last time I allowed myself time to sit and write is was Tuesday evening. I will never complain because the ultimate goal is visible and things of value are hard work. Since I last wrote the complexion of the barn has changed drastically. Wednesday was the cutting day. We cut out the windows from the front of the barn and began cutting the trim pieces for painting. We also began the mowing process. If you haven’t had the opportunity to mow 8.5 acres on a Craftsman lawn tractor you should allow yourself the joy of such an experience. Wednesday I mowed for around 3 hours and made a dent but not much more than that. Thursday was another busy day as we began the actual window hanging. The ladies started the caulking process of the entire barn. This all sounds easy but the barn is large and the roof has a nice peak which means being very high on a ladder while working with a temperamental caulk gun. The window framing was not too bad but Ken and I had to use some creative engineering to secure the four windows in their slots. Thursday also was one of those what the heck is that doing here days. I was out on the mower moving some stuff around and while I was coming back I notice water just pouring out of the ground. Somehow I had ruptured a pipe that was just buried under the ground. That’s not abnormal but the fact that it was about 3 feet off the fence and just kind of out in the middle of nowhere was the odd part. Since we are new to the barn we don’t have all the things we need to handle the day to day issues that come up but thankfully we had enough scraps laying around to fashion a secure fix. You know when you buy someone else’s stuff you are going to find things that make you scratch your head and I have find my first one with this pipe. Friday was a massive day where the transformation began to actually look like progress. The first coats of paint were placed on the front of the barn and Ken and I began adding the trim boards around the windows. The barn is being painted chromium and the trim is black. As these pieces were being added you could actually see that what you had pictured in your head was beginning to take shape in reality. The ladies are doing such a great job with the painting and are not taking any shortcuts with the process. They are even taping off things just so the painting looks professional to the point that I, by the way I am not fond of heights, was on top of the ladder taping off the peak of the barn roof so the paint wouldn’t hit the metal flashing. Darkness hit us too soon which didn’t stop the ladies as they painted until about 9:30 last night. Today came fast and for Michelle and Brianna they just ignored the alarm to get up. I pulled myself out of bed and headed to the barn to handle the feeding and mucking by myself. What a peaceful way to start the morning. I had the iPod playing and was just getting ready to enjoy the paper when Michelle called and said they were ready to come on out. Well, there went the serenity but the work must go on. The ladies continued the painting process, Ken and I finished the last trim boards on the windows and began the trim boards on the actual barn itself. We cut, painted, drilled, and screwed until about 4:30 and then it was time to shut down for the day. Before we left Tyler met us out there and hopped on the mower to try and get some more of the pasture down to size. We were not knocking off to go home and relax, we were heading to the barn where the horses were currently at to pick them up and bring them out to H&W Stables. After hanging out with Mrs. Kathy for awhile we left her barn to head back to ours. Yonka and Johnnie are hanging out in the arena for the evening so that the current boarders can get accustomed to their new mates. After having a nice dinner on the porch we shut the doors about 9:30 to head to the house. As you can tell the place is taking shape. I am really proud to be part of this project and am truly excited that Brianna and Michelle now have their horses with them. Brianna was almost beside herself with joy tonight when she put the boys out into the arena. She was asking if we could just spend the night in the office so we could be close to them. Great idea but we nixed that with the promise that once we were done with the majority of the work we would spend a night out at the barn and watch some Netflix and eat some popcorn. Tomorrow should be another exciting day and I am guessing we will not have much help from Brianna since she has two distractions to keep her busy. By the way, it is very warm outside so make sure you stay hydrated. Actually, just go to the pool or sit inside in the air conditioning. The work can wait until the Fall. Just kidding, it’s great training for the tough mudder in December.

Real Work and Business Work

I missed another day on the blog but I have no excuse. Since the weather has been, let’s say, replenishing I decided to go to my actual job on Monday. The weather in Lakeland was equally as drab as I had left in Babson Park. The reason I headed over to FSC was to handle some positive paperwork. The men’s tennis team qualified as an Academic All-American Team for the school year 2011-2012. The team’s GPA was a staggering 3.6 with 15 players on the roster. I also checked up on the new tennis facility and it is going to be awesome. The layout and styling is just second to none. While there I caught up with the women’s coach and I now know my schedule from the first week of September through the first week of October. No matter how long I do this job I don’t think I will get used to knowing what I am going to be doing so many months in advance. Once the work was done I headed towards Babson Park to do a little work at the barn but first I bought into advertising and headed to Firehouse Subs and had to try the new pulled pork/slaw/King’s Hawaiian Roll sandwich. It was good but I am still a bigger fan of the Steamer. Getting back to the barn around 5pm I actually took time to notice how green and high the grass has gotten due to the rain and the assistance of the fertilizer. There wasn’t much work to get started on so I just assisted with the evening feeding and stall mucking and then it was time for another late night dinner. It’s amazing that there was no work to really do and we still didn’t get to dinner until 8:30. This has become an odd summer but one positive is I am really getting to spend some good time with Michelle. She is working so hard to get the business side set up and I am getting to see her skills shine through. We got home around 9:30 after a great dinner of ribs from Fat Boy’s and just knocked out a load of laundry and some vegging on the couch. Tuesday brought back the normalcy of the summer which meant an early morning at the barn. I was flying solo this morning as Brianna had the first day of her horse drill team camp and Michelle and her mother were heading to the dump and then to business meetings for feed and hay suppliers. After finishing the morning chores I needed to move a large water trough from one field to the next. This in itself is not a difficult task but when I got out to the field I noticed that one of the lines had a small leak in it. No big deal except that it decided to pour off and on the entire time I was making the fix. With the leak fixed and the trough moved it was time to let a couple of the horses enjoy some of the lush grass. Today one of the luck horses was Theo. We all call him Houdini because he has the ability to push down the fence and ease his way into the neighboring grove. He only does it when he knows you aren’t paying attention so of course I gave him the look and kept a fairly close eye on him while I tended to my next task. I had to remove all the old hay out of the hay room so that we could receive our new load of 29 bales of hay. During this little exercise I also found our cat that we thought had left. He had found the hay room much more to his liking and I think he actually did his job because when I moved the mule there was a nice clump of grey and white fur. Maybe this critter will earn his keep around the property and if he does he can stay down there as long as he wants to. As soon as I got the room cleaned out Ruthie showed up with the new order and I unloaded 29 bales and stacked them one by one. I know I haven’t been in the gym but working out here is giving me a fairly good workout on a daily basis. Between rain showers/downpours I finished up the pressure washing so when it actually decides to become the Sunshine State again we can get the barns painted. Around 6pm I got the final feeding and mucking out of the way and decided to rehab one of the stalls. All was going well when it was pointed out that if I had a different tool it would probably be easier. Isn’t that the way it always is; you are doing what you think you need to do and then someone shows you it can be done more efficiently. How do you respond? My response was please get me the tool because I’ve got a lot more rehab to do. Just to wrap it up, this weather is really cracking me up. It rained, has rained, and will rain some more but the teasing with blue skies for 5 minutes is just mean. I do feel bad for those that are enduring flooding but my only complaint is that it is holding back my work. I guess our perspectives are very personal.

Waffle House and a rainy day

To state the obvious it rained a lot today which kind of worked out in my favor. Don’t get me wrong, I am thoroughly enjoying rebuilding the barn with the family. It is really neat to see the changes taking place but when the alarm went off at 2:30 this morning I knew it was going to be a long day. Michelle and I made our delivery to Orlando and then we came back to Polk County and had a great breakfast at Waffle House. When you eat breakfast at 5:15 in the morning, even at Waffle House, you can have a restaurant to yourself. We beat the senior citizens to the feeding table this morning. By the time we left around 5:45 the old lady karaoke singer was meeting her old man husband, the security guard for some coffee and omelets. As we were walking out the door the old dude in his RV hauling Dodge dually was easing into the parking lot for early grub. Once we got back to Babson Park we headed to the barn for the morning feeding. The rain was becoming harder so we did what we needed to do but nixed the idea of staying and working. After awhile we were back at the house waiting on the ever present rain to pass. That just wasn’t going to happen immediately so Michelle curled up on the couch and immediately fell asleep. I started scrolling through the DVR and found last weeks 24 Hours of LeMans and figured I would watch the race. I really enjoy the endurance races and with the current schedule I have been keeping I just didn’t have a chance to watch it live. Even though I followed the race on twitter and facebook I still want to see the action, albeit later, and it was just nice time filler. Once I had seen the first segment I switched over to watch the tape delayed F1 race from Spain. At some point right after the race was over I flipped over to watch golf but there was wall-to-wall coverage of the bad weather hitting our area. I guess it was riveting because the next thing I knew the phone was ringing and when I finally came to I realized it was around 3:30. Oops, I guess the lack of sleep, boredom, or other factors finally took their toll on me. Michelle and I got ourselves going and headed to Wal-Mart to return some items we found out we actually didn’t need at the barn. Going to Wal-Mart is not my favorite trip but the only thing that makes it worthwhile is the incredibly cool people watching I get to do. Once we finished up our returning, shopping, and viewing the different world out there we headed to the barn to see if there was anything we could do and to feed for the evening. The rains continued to fall so work was minimal. The one positive with this rain is the fact that the pastures are getting much needed water. This is such a conflict of interest for me. I coach college tennis and need it not to rain so that I can do my job. On the other hand, I now need it to rain so that my pastures have enough water to sustain growth for the horses to graze on. Maybe we can work on a special agreement with the powers above so that my needs are met on the timeframe I need to do both jobs. We got the horses fed, worked with Brianna on driving the mule, and set a massive rat trap. Those damn traps are huge and scare me like the dickens. I’m always scared my fingers are going to fall victim to that massive spring loaded kill lever. Our new barn cat has disappeared so in a weird way we are all sad. I don’t really get it because he stayed around for 2 days, ate, and seemed to be adjusting well. I think something scared him or got him because his food has been eaten but he is nowhere to be seen. We have looked high, low, and everywhere else in between. I hope he comes back because even though I am not a massive cat person he was a cool cat. If he is gone we will go get another one because you can’t have a barn without a barn cat. We finished up early and Brianna even made the comment that she was excited we were leaving before dark. With the rain still coming down we settled in for a night at the house and a comfy bed waiting for my butt to hit it and get some more rest. Tomorrow brings the start of the second week and more work to knock out. If it ever stops raining the barn will finally get its new coat of paint. When it rains, put on your raincoat and go enjoy the change of scenery.

I didn't forget I just needed to rest.

Thank you for your patience while I was away. We just finished up a load of laundry and are sitting on the couch getting ready to crash for the night. We are getting up at 2:30am to run to Orlando airport in the morning then heading straight to the barn to keep working on H&W Stables. Everywhere I have read or anyone I have spoken to has said that anything worth having is worth working for. Well, we are busting our butts to get this stable up to the standards we are looking for. The barn was in good shape before we obtained it but we are just doing deferred maintenance and making some adjustments on other parts of it. It is Saturday night and I have not written on Thursday or Friday. It was not that I didn’t want to write or have anything to write about it was just that I needed to get caught up on some rest. Thursday was spent putting on new locks, more pruning, pressure washing, scraping and prepping the walls for the new paneling, and removing the front stall windows for the new paneling. The work on this day was not mind numbing just tedious and man do I appreciate people who do this for a living. Oh yeah, we got our barn cat this day as well. His name is Luke, came from the SPCA, and at the moment he is a tad bit antisocial. He has stuck around so far but he hasn’t killed any critters yet so we are still having to feed him. Just kidding, we will feed him anyways. Friday we got the office all set up which was a nice touch. It is pretty cool to have an air-conditioned office to eat in, work out of and just sit and chill for a bit. We also moved some dirt from around the stables, got the pastured fertilized, weeded the arena and round pen, and odds and ends that took up a great portion of the day. Today was a big day on the progress of the stables. Ken and I put up all the paneling on the front of the barn. One window has been cut out, the bathroom is up and running again, the out buildings have been scrubbed and are ready for paint, and we have a few less spiders and wasps. The pest situation is funny in itself. We have all become a little less crept out by the creepy crawlies and flying critters. When you see spiders the size of your palm on a daily basis you begin to become immune to them. Even Brianna isn’t as jumpy as she has been. The wasps nests are being eradicated one by one and some of these bugs have been working very hard for a long time to build their castles. The funniest moment of the day was with Michelle and Ruthie working in the pump house. There is a rat living in the pump house and he introduced himself to them multiple times throughout the day. They hung tough and our silly cat has yet to find it interesting enough to battle it out with the rat so they have insisted we kill the rat. The best part was that Michelle kept sneaking up on her mother and touching her lightly to make her freak. You could hear the shrieking over the hammering every time. You need that levity while working that hard. The place is going to be beautiful when it’s complete and we will all be very glad when we can sit on those rocking benches, drink a big glass of sweet tea, and watch people enjoying their horses. Well, Michelle has passed out here on the couch and I guess I should head to bed since my alarm is going to go off in less than 3 and ½ hours. We are shutting down early tomorrow so we can regroup for next week so I’ll post some pictures of some of the construction. It is pretty cool to see the before and I cannot wait to see the after. Work hard for what you want and don’t be afraid to sweat for it.

Rain is a Good Thing

Day 2 of H&W Stables is in the books. Today was a very productive day of work. We started at 7:00 with the feeding and cleaning chores. As soon as this portion was over it was time to get down to business. I started spraying down the back stalls while Michelle and Ruthie started the pruning process for the many plants around the property. At some point the pressure washer was cranked up getting the exterior of the barn ready for some new paneling and paint. Tyler stopped by and was immediately put to work. It wasn’t very long into the day when the rains started. They stayed throughout the day but really only chased us inside a couple of times. With all the pruning came much stacking of debris in the back of the truck to be hauled out to the road. I think we ended up having four truck loads and three mule loads of plant debris. We all stopped for lunch and today I refused to eat fast food so Michelle and I headed to Fat Boy’s for a little BBQ. I really enjoy a good pork sandwich and I wasn’t disappointed today. After lunch the pressure washing resumed, the weeds were pulled from the arena, and Tyler and I started to move some dirt around the stalls preparing for the upcoming painting. One of our odder tasks for the day included a hammer and a drill. We walked around the property and either pulled, nailed back in, screwed in, or screwed out, every random nail or screw we could find. Although this seems frivolous we must consider that we will have little kids and large horses wandering around and nails can do a number on the body of a horse. I have seen that first hand and it isn’t pretty. Once Ken showed up later in the afternoon my focus shifted to prep work for tomorrow. We are going to replace the paneling on the front of the barn and Ken and I discussed what I need to get done first thing in the morning so we can start nailing the new board up tomorrow. We finished up around 9:00pm tonight and I was so happy to get out of there at that time. We all need some rest as we are busting our butts to make this place a beautiful facility for people to come and enjoy their horses. We are working hard but we also need some rest just to recharge so we can hit is hard each day. Tomorrow is another day with lots to do but with today’s work we could actually see some of the transformation taking place. This is good to see because it allows us to see we are going in the right direction. There is a lot do and we are getting it done little by little every day. If you are in the area, stop by and check out what we have gotten ourselves into. Then come back in a month and see if you can tell any difference. You will and you will come back again and see more differences. We have a good team and the facility will be great. Oh yeah, maybe the most exciting thing about today was finding out we are getting the pastures fertilized before the end of the week. That’s a really good thing when you need to feed the horses and they really like grass. Rain, rain, rain, grow, grow, and grow.

Taking the first step even when you can't see the top step

Day 1 at H&W Stables is in the books and what an interesting day it was. Of course it started early with feeding and then scooping poop. After that was done the work began. Wait, we had guests and had to run to Tractor Supply for some things. While at Tractor Supply we met up with my mom and Pea Pod went with her and the kids to go watch a movie. Back to the barn it was for Michelle, Tyler, and me to begin the cleaning and evaluation process. We started cleaning odds and ends, let the horses out to graze, and got ready to pressure wash the facility. Second bobble of the day was just about to occur. The pump for the solution sprayer would not work. We went and got another sprayer from one of the houses and it too was not functioning. Guess what that meant, you got it, another trip to Tractor Supply for a new pump. We decided to kill two birds with one stone and grabbed some lunch while we were out. Trip two was a success and to add to the humor of the day the girl at the register asked if she should be expecting us again today. When we returned to the stables we moved some larger items and began the spraying process. It’s always wise to use a bleach solution when there is a great breeze. What wasn’t spotted will get spotted when the winds of the ridge are involved. This minor setback was not stopping the progress we were making. When all was said and done the main barn and the first seven stables were complete and ready for the next process. Michelle and Ruthie took turns working in the feed room and that too is ready for service. The day wasn’t completely smooth but when it was over late this evening progress was seen by those involved. We did take time to eat some pizza brought out by Ken and Stella surprised us all with some chicken and fixins’ from KFC. I really think we will be eating quite a few meals at our new second home. In all reality there are so many little stories that could be told throughout the day but the hours mix into one another and at the end of the day the only thing that really matters is that we are making progress towards having a great facility to be shared by other enthusiasts. One of the highlights of tonight was turning on the arena lights and realizing how bright they made everything. Tomorrow is another day and I am about to fall asleep while writing this so I am going to cut it a little short. There will be many ups and hopefully only a few downs while this process moves along throughout the summer. We sized up some of our larger tasks and when those are being done the evidence of progress will become evident. A journey of a thousand miles begins with the first step. We just keep taking steps.

H&W Stables, LLC was born today!

Okay, I guess I can tell you why I have been running around for the past two weeks like a chicken with my head cut off. The alarm went off at 6:00am today but I kicked Michelle out of bed and I continued to sleep. That extra 20 minutes really didn’t quench the sleeping desire but I pulled myself out of the bed and got ready for the day. By 7:00am Brianna and I were out at the barn feeding and cleaning stalls. Once we were through there Brianna escaped and went over to her Mimi’s house to play with her cousins while I cleaned out a freezer that no longer worked to be used for horse feed. Michelle had avoided this pleasant task because she was in Bartow attending to her civic duty. The freezer got scrubbed and began baking in the early afternoon sun so I decided that I needed some lunch. I moseyed down to Jack’s Diner for an awesome slaw burger. Man those things are good. I got home and was anticipating some down time before the big finale but just as I eased into the couch my phone rang. Ggma needed some help at her house so I changed clothes, I was filthy but I needed to freshen up so I could get filthy at her house, I know great logic but just roll with it, and went over to her house. I scrubbed the pool deck, cleaned some chairs, swept the carport and in less than an hour was back at the house. Now I got my sit down time and enjoyed all 45 minutes of it. I needed to change clothes again but this time I needed to look somewhat presentable. At 4:30 I was dressed in a nice polo, jeans, and my boots and sitting at a closing table. That will make sense in just a moment. You see, as soon as the closing was over I had to head out to the barn to feed and move the horses for the night. The closing was for the barn and stables that I was now a partner in. H&W Stables, LLC began operation at 5:00pm this afternoon. For two weeks I have been meeting with the former owner going over all his operation tactics, meeting the current boarders, and just learning the ropes. The stable has 17 stalls and sits on over 8 acres of property. There is a full riding arena, 2 pastures, and an obstacle course. Each stall has automatic water for the horses and they get fed twice daily. This new business could not have been possible without the efforts of all involved and the former owner. He has been so kind to work with me on the general maintenance side of things. I have a lot to learn, hence the early mornings and late nights but I am truly excited to have such a wonderful facility to grow from. H&W Stables will also be the place where Brianna can hone her skills when she is not at Ms. Kathy’s. It is three minutes from the house and will give us a great opportunity to give Brianna all the riding time her little heart will desire. She also has her chores on property that she is responsible for. By the way, scooping horse poop is one of my daily chores and it really isn’t all that bad. Today was a big day and could possibly be one of those life changing moments in a person’s existence. I guess time will tell. It’s funny because as much fun as we all want to have out at the barn none of those involved can forget that we are running a business and we are responsible to our customers, even when they are our friends. The drive to succeed at this business will not diminish my desire to be the best coach I can be at FSC. The only difference will be that my free time will not be on a couch watching television but with boots on working on my stables. Come check us out and giggle all you want, I’m used to it and the rest of the people involved already know we are crazy. I knew I was going to have a wild summer I hadn’t planned for two weeks to completely change my way of life.

Miniature horses, lots of miles, and big rigs

Yes, I know I missed my Saturday roundup but things are happening. All of my anticipation is about to come to a crescendo and hopefully at this time tomorrow night I will have a sense of relief to go along with the ever present trepidation of the future. Since I missed yesterday I will update both as quickly and concisely as possible. Saturday morning came in with the sound of the alarm clock at 6:00. This has become the norm and they say you get used to it but I truly believe that whoever said it was just trying to make the other person feel better. Once I trudged out of bed I realized that I needed to put on my happy face and get the day started. Michelle, Brianna, and I were out the door at 6:50 heading to take care of the horses before our other big plans for the day. Around 11:30 we were back at the house getting ready to head to Frostproof for my niece’s dance recital. At 1:00 I was sitting in a dark, well air conditioned auditorium watching young ladies present their yearlong efforts for adoring parents and fans. The dances were entertaining and I always find myself dancing or singing to the music from the safety of my seat. To add some spice to the show there was a mother’s dance that was just outstanding. Besides my niece’s performances the one that stole the show was my brother-in-law. Yearly he is involved with McKenzie in the father/daughter dance which is always a heartwarming and somewhat jealous moment for me but this year he stepped it up a notch. He was also in the surprise daddy only dance based upon the Blues Brother’s routine. He was simply awesome and I didn’t know he had those steps in his soul. I won’t say that he was Fred Astaire but I will say that I was ultimately impressed by his smoothness and courage. I don’t think I could allow myself, sober, to get up there and dance in front of that many people. The group got a rousing round of applause and I must admit I was thoroughly impressed. After the recital my family hustled back to the house as we had about 45 minutes to be back in Lake Wales for Father’s Day dinner with Michelle’s family. Like I have said before, nothing is too good for us so our feast this evening was at Woody’s. You really can’t go wrong with BBQ. We enjoyed a good meal and my mom joined us which is always nice since even though we live next door we probably don’t see each other enough. After gorging myself with ribs we headed to Topper’s Creamery for some dessert. This called for a chocolate dipped waffle cone with butter pecan ice cream. I am now stuffed and needless to say I haven’t taken or had the time to work out over the past couple of days. Those cheat meals are starting to stack on top of themselves. I guess my discipline has gone haywire like my schedule. Having the nice dinner, enjoying the company of family, and devouring some delish treats would have capped off most individuals evening but not for my family. We headed to Auburndale, 45 minutes away, to run an errand and check out something. To our surprise the item we were checking out was at the same address as an adorable miniature horse. You guessed it, I’m screwed. With three ladies in the car who love horses we were there for longer than needed or intended but they were having a blast and that is always fun to see. This horse weighed around 100 pounds so when I say miniature I am not kidding. I cannot say I was bored because the grandfather of the house is an over-the-road long haul truck driver and pulled out pictures of some of the loads he has hauled all over the US. For those that don’t know I am a big rig geek and the little kid in me thinks they are so cool, so the opportunity to speak to an actual driver is just the biggest thrill. I saw pictures of massive military machines, huge combines, tractors, storage tanks, hay bales, boats, you name it if it can go on a flat-bed he has hauled it. We were finally polite and left the people alone and when we finally got home it was around 11:00. I was exhausted and also realized that the alarm was going to go off at 6:00 Sunday morning and even though it would be Father’s Day I still had responsibilities to attend to. This is why I skipped last night. Today is Father’s Day and the alarm did go off. Brianna had spent the night with her grandparent’s last night so Michelle and I headed out to the barn to do our chores and also take care of a few things with our actual horses. We spent some time doctoring some boo-boos and just given the boys some needed attention. After we were done Michelle took me to breakfast at Fat Boy’s. This place was where we spent a lot of Sunday mornings before we were married and it’s like a comfort zone close to home. We shared an order of sausage and gravy with biscuits and an order of home fries. True Southern eaten at a true redneck eatery. Oh yes, there was some sweet tea drank as well. Enough mushy stuff, it was time to head back north towards Lake Wales to meet up with Michelle’s parents and Brianna. Brianna had given me the cutest card Saturday night for Father’s Day so I wasn’t expecting anything this morning but when she saw me I got the biggest hug, a Father’s Day song, and an amazing amount of daddy loving. Yeah, I liked the card but this was just the best gift I could have received. We all met up and hammered out the work we needed to accomplish. Now, let’s have a little lesson on lawnmower tires. I have a Craftsman lawnmower I purchased from Sear’s. I need two new tires for said mower so Ken, my father-in-law, and I headed to the Sear’s tire center to get the tires. Once inside they informed us that we needed to go to the actual Sear’s store in the mall to get the tires. We trudged over to the actual store and once we finally got a customer service representative he informed us that although they sold the mowers and some minor parts that we would have to order the tires from the store in Lakeland. He didn’t offer to order them for us. We then asked if he knew where we could get them. Now mind you he works for Sear’s, the same place I got the mower and here was his response; “I believe you can get those tires at Tractor Supply.” Not, hey can I order those for you or anything related to Sear’s, his employer, profiting from our inquiry what so ever. You know where I am going tomorrow, that’s right, Tractor Supply. After the debacle at Sear’s we headed back out to the barn to check on the horses, grabbed a quick bite at Subway and then headed to the house. Oops, the only problem with that scenario is that we all had forgotten that we had left Michelle’s SUV at her parent’s office. We eased our way back to their office, retrieved Michelle’s ride, and pointed the hood towards our house. We made it home almost an hour earlier than last night so there was definitely some improvement in our schedule today. Hopefully tomorrow afternoon all of this will make more sense but until then I am headed to bed because for anybody reading this you know what time the alarm is going off in the morning. Not everybody who wanders is lost. Explore what you want to be.

A Little Golf, Some Boots, and a Mower

Life is so cool. Yesterday was slow, relaxing, and fairly non-descript. Today the sun came up and I got the chance to do it again. When the alarm clock went off at 6:00 I excitedly hopped out of bed, got my shower, shaved, and ate breakfast with Pea Pod while watching some Phineas and Ferb. We all headed out to handle our business around 7:00 and let me just say, it was a beautiful morning. After finishing up what needed to be done it was time for us to go do our separate things. Michelle and Brianna headed to the horses and I was preparing for battle. It is Friday so that means it is golf day with the Webber folks. Today the competition was held at River Greens in Avon Park. This course is a beautiful track with some very cool hole designs. There is danger of out of bounds on 10 of the holes. I hit some good shots and some not so good shots but I prevailed by 3 strokes to take the victory. I’ve been working on my draw and I see some improvement but it is still a tad bit scary to shoot a ball out to the right and hope that it comes back. By the way, if you are looking for a Circle K in Avon Park I don’t think there are any. If you know of one let me know because I searched north and south and couldn’t find one. Taco Bell was the lunch choice today. Sometimes you just want some fake Mexican food and that hankering hit me like a sombrero after pay day. Waking up early, seeing the sunrise, and playing on a nice golf course would have made my day on any other day but that wasn’t good enough today. Once I got home from golf I got to hang out with Michelle and that is always fun. We got to hang out until almost six when we went back to handle some more chores away from the house. When we got back I decided that the jungle needed to have a mower run across it so I just started mowing while wearing boots and jeans. Hey, it’s Polk County and that makes it okay. Finishing up the great day was the anticipation of dinner. Tonight was just as good as last night since I got to have more of the BBQ pulled chicken. To top it off we had watermelon and blueberries. Man, as much as I like being on the road there is something special about home-cooked meals. We also topped off the dinner with a little coverage of the US Open. That course is tough but it would be a great challenge to play on something like that one time just to appreciate how good those guys really are. It’s been almost a week since we started our summer schedule and I have to say that if this is what summer is like without tennis I am not sure which one is more hectic. Today’s workout consisted of golf with lots of walking, shoveling, and pushing a non-propelled mower through overly tall grass. Tomorrow is another day and it will include boots for awhile, shorts for awhile, playing dress up for a dance recital, and a dinner to celebrate Father’s Day. It is also the 24 Hours of LeMans and MX Nations from Budds Creek. This is going to be another great day.

Not worth reading because I ate at home.

As busy as the first part of summer vacation has been today was a theoretical anomaly. I had the early morning responsibilities, some business to tend to mid morning, some even chores to attend to but really today was very slow. I had a chance to watch the US Open golf tournament multiple times, spend some time setting up some future events, and to just chill with the ladies at the house. We actually had all three meals at the house today as well. This was such an abnormal day that I am speechless so I am not going to try to create something out of nothing tonight. I saw some awesome golf shots, some really bad golf shots, and an absolutely beautiful golf course. I realized that if the best golfers were struggling on this course I would potential shoot in the 140’s on a layout like that. I guess the only lesson I can throw out there today is that your perspective will match your outlook. I missed working out today so I will forgo my rest day on Sunday and do today’s workout then. You cannot make up for missing but you can at least honor your commitments and get the job done. I will have a full report tomorrow as I am hitting the links with the Webber crew, finalizing some other things, and will have a workout report. Have a great night and since it is only 10:15 I am excited to get a longer night’s sleep than I have been getting.

Even When It's Not the Day You Hoped For It's Still Your Day

I’ve written before about being so close to having a project done and today was going to be one of those elation moments. I got up at my standard 6:00am and headed out of the house to handle my morning chores. Man, I cannot get over how nice it is at that time of the day. I think I would rather be sleeping but since I have to be up at least it’s peaceful and beautiful. Brianna got up to go with me to handle some other chores and watching her work makes me a very proud father. Once we were done we headed back to the house. After a quick change of clothes for me Brianna and Michelle headed out to the barn for some horse time and I headed to the shop so Jason and I could wrap up the rebuild of the YZ 250. Today was going to be the day. When I got there the beast was dressed and appeared ready to go. Jason was just waiting on the last couple of parts that I was delivering. The first thing we did was to attach the new fuel line and then we began the re-oiling process on the steering damper. We finished the oiling and our first stumble of the day hit us. The damper still wasn’t moving the way we needed it to so off it went into a box to be shipped back to WER for a little service. No harm, no foul as this piece is an add-on and can easily be bolted on after the rest of the rebuild is complete. The next step was to mix some great smelling pre-mix so we can crank the beast up. We headed down to Harvey’s and picked up a couple gallons of non-ethanol fuel added oil, filled the tank, and it was time for the moment of truth. Jason hopped on top of the beast and I think he actually said a little prayer but I’m not sure because I had my eyes closed waiting to hear the ting of the 2 stroke. One kick, two kicks, and ignition. She was running. After almost one year she fired right up. We started going through heat cycles and all systems were a go. Wait, what is that fluid dripping? We checked the lower case, other bolt locations, and it finally hit us. Gas was leaking out of the lower bowl. We hadn’t even messed with the lower bowl of the carburetor during the rebuild process. It appears that the bike has been sitting so long that the gasket in the lower bowl has just simply rotted. The realization that the bike wasn’t coming back to the house today was becoming clearer in my mind. Jason and I talked about it and he is going to strip off the carburetor tomorrow to confirm our initial diagnosis. In reality this is a small set back and I would much prefer to have it done properly even if that means I don’t get to ride for another couple of weeks. After the little bit of negative I got to enjoy lunch at the house with my two ladies. It was about 3 bites into my sandwich that I had forgotten about the fact that the bike wasn’t done. After lunch all three of us had the amazing realization that we didn’t have anywhere to be for the first time in six days. Brianna watched a couple episodes of Phineas and Ferb, read her books, and played in her room. Michelle slept when her phone wasn’t ringing and I also found myself watching Brianna’s television show in between trying to catch up on some personal email. Around 6:00 we headed out to take care of our evening responsibilities and were back at the house around 8:00. Michelle heated up some pot roast and while we were waiting we started our second jig-saw puzzle for the summer. With dinner ready it meant that we ate all three meals at our own house for the first time in, I’m not really sure how many days it has been, a long time. Even though today didn’t go as perfectly as I had planned when I woke up this morning it turned out to be a great day with the girls and that is never a bad thing. There was no workout today as it was a scheduled rest day for the gym. We will be back at it tomorrow. Find the things you enjoy, pursue them, and be willing to live with the ridicule of your pursuits. Everyone’s opinions will change when you succeed.

Vacation is really what you make of it!

It is 11:15pm and I am finally sitting down to knock out my daily diary. I will never complain about my schedule because I am choosing to do what I do but even I really don’t know how long I can keep up this pace. The day started at 6:00am again this morning. Out the door at 6:25 I was off to handle some morning chores for a family member. As soon as that was over I headed out to the barn to help feed the horses and muck some stalls. I returned home around 9:45 so Michelle and I headed to Webber to get our workout out of the way. We finished our workout and headed over to another family members house to check in with them. About 1pm we headed down to Frostproof to pick everyone up some lunch. Once lunch was finished Michelle and I were able to get some more of our own work done and then headed out to get our grocery shopping done. About this time it was getting close to 5pm and we thought our day was nearing an end. Well, we got home put the groceries away and had just sat down on the couch to have a cold beer and the phone rang. The call was from Mrs. Kathy and her mare had had the foal earlier and she needed some help getting the watering system hooked up in the nursing field. We grabbed our plumbing kit, put our boots back on, grabbed a diet Coke and back out the door we went. As soon as we arrived on property we were met by Brianna and my mother, who Brianna had spent pretty much the whole day with. They also wanted to see the new baby. Baby horses are pretty amazing. They are all legs, a little wobbly, but very cute. A massive lightning storm kicked up so we were relegated to the house to let it pass. At this point I am still thinking about that cold beer I have yet to have and when my day might be over. After the storm passed Michelle and I started working on the water fix, Brianna started going through the barn getting horses and feeding them, and Brian showed up to finish up some fencing for the second nursing field. You see, the baby came about three weeks early so the push to finish up the two nursing pastures wasn’t really at a fever pitch since we knew we had time. Surprise, Mother Nature works at her own pace and decided that we needed to finish today. We manipulated some pipe, hose, and a few bad fittings but after awhile we had the automatic watering system complete for mama. As nightfall was over our shoulders we said our goodbyes for the night and drug our soaking wet bodies into the Sportage to head home. Oh wait, we haven’t had dinner yet and it is now 9:00pm, we are soaking wet and dirty, and the options of a healthy dinner are far and few between. The three of us decided our best option was to go pick up Subway. Some of our rationale was that we could at least get some vegetables with our sandwich. By the time we finished eating while sitting in the car (it was too cold and we were too dirty to eat inside) it was approaching 10:00. I cranked the car to leave and it dawned on me that I needed to take care of one more thing before we went home. We rushed over and took care of our last duty for the evening and finally hit the door at 10:35. Brianna quickly got ready for bed, Michelle has curled up on the couch and is sound asleep, and I am soon to follow. Why, because we start this process over again tomorrow at 6:00am. Man, summer vacation is really a misnomer. Today’s workout was a combo pack. We had some lifting and then did some running. We had three sets with a rep count of 21-15-9. The two lifts were dumbbell hang cleans and then handstand pushups. I think Michelle was using 10 pound dumbbells and I used 25 pound dumbbells. Neither one of us can do completely vertical handstand pushups so we got as close to vertical as we could and completed the workout. The running portion was 4 x 600 meters with 2:00 rest after each one. We completed this without too much stress. We both got faster with each set. Brianna had a skill day involving a couple of math problems and hanging with her cousins. Her workout was to be a kid today and between running around the back yard and working with 10 horses this evening she basically had an off day. Get what you want by going and getting what you want!

I Think I Live Here

Sometimes life throws you curve balls and it is up to you to take a swing at them or just watch them go by and hope they are balls and not strikes. Curves are nasty but they can hang up which means you have a chance to knock it out of the park. Swing at it and miss just means you took your chances. Let it go by and the outcome is not up to you. Currently life is tossing curve balls at me. I really like curve balls because they are something different to look at. This morning I was up at 6:00 to go take care of some business for some others. The mornings are so nice at that time of day. The sun is just beginning to rise, the air is calm, and after the rains everything smells clean. After completing the first task I moved on to the next assignment which included Michelle and Brianna. We completed what we set out to and then headed to the barn to get Brianna on the horse. Her boy had the day off so she rode Yonka today. After about 30 minutes of cruising around she strolled over to the fence and told us she really wasn’t enjoying Yonka. Michelle and I are stubborn parents so we told her to work it out and went back to what we were doing before. I mucked out a few stables and waited for Brianna’s lesson to start. About 20 minutes into the lesson I happened to look over and see Brianna smiling from ear to ear. What a difference a little time can make. Mrs. Kathy had asked Michelle and me to join her in the arena as she wanted us to check out Brianna and Yonka. Mrs. Kathy was just so impressed with how the two of them were working and what the horse was capable of. The lesson was an unbelievable success and was one of the most intense horseback lessons I have ever witnessed. When they were done both the horse and the rider were ready for a break. I was so proud of Brianna and her tenacity that I told her she could choose where we ate lunch. She threw me a curve ball when she said she wanted to go to Jimmy John’s. I struck out as a dad and told her that we weren’t driving to the other side of Lakeland to eat lunch so she just hit me where it hurts and said that we would go to McDonald’s instead. I lost on that exchange but it was okay. I was spending time with both the ladies in my life. Once the fries had been ingested we were off to the next part of the busy day. We loaded up and took care of our task in Lake Wales then it was a quick stop at our house. I really think our house is just becoming a staging and sleeping area. Maybe I can start renting out the house and just pay room rent for when we are there. We simply came home to change clothes so we could go to WIU to workout. 45 minutes later we were out the door and back at the house. All three of us covered in sweat and needing to change clothes so we could head back out to the barn. Just like the mornings the evenings are a peaceful time of the day. This evening there was a great breeze which made it difficult to drag ourselves away from the barn. The day was about over but needing to eat dinner we stopped at Wendy’s to feel our belly. After starting the day at 6:00 am we finally got home for good around 9:30 pm. We went through multiple sets of clothes today but on a positive didn’t dirty a dish in the house. Just looking for the bright side of all situations. Oh yeah, those curve balls; I am swinging away and at some point I will hit for the cycle. Today’s workout was the first day of triathlon training. All three of us will be competing in this year’s race. That means that we all must train. Obviously Brianna will not be doing our workouts but she has her own and I will post them as well. Actually, hers are more fun than ours. Brianna: Buy In: 3 times through – 2 forward rolls > bear crawl 15 m > 5 push ups > 5 squats WOD: 3 rounds for time – 15-12-9 reps 3 lb overhead squat and burpees Cash Out: 20 second plank, 15 second L sit, 20 second plank. All completed with a smile on her face. She erased her time but she did well Michelle and me: Back squat: 12 sets of 2 reps at 65% of max on 1:30 Workout: 100 sumo deadlift high pulls 50 thrusters 30 pull ups Weights varied and were lowered at point of exhaustion. Good first day Back at it at the crack of dark tomorrow.

The Day After

Oh to be thankful for rest days. I will never complain about getting older and I fight the aging process every day but I guess some facts just can’t be denied. After the race I really felt good and overall minus some minor soreness felt like I had trained properly for the event. This morning the soreness was a little more pronounced but nothing major. The main thing I see differently as I get older is I move a little slower after really hard exertion. Maybe the recovery time is not as quick. I am not immobilized and can do things just getting going takes a little more time. If that is the only problems I face with my lifestyle I will not complain. Since today was an off day and a recovery day I did just that. The ladies headed off to the barn to see their horses. They have missed them this week since we had such a busy schedule and just couldn’t get out there to play this week. While they were gone I watched a little of the French Open, some news, some racing pre-race shows, some CMT countdown, and some LPGA golf. Yeah, I know, working the remote that much probably was too much stress on my index finger. Just to even it out I played some Mad Skill MX on my phone which requires a finger from each hand. Hey remember, it was a recovery day. Michelle and I begin our triathlon training tomorrow so I was taking full advantage of this rare off day. Around noon I heated up some leftover pizza and headed to the shower. Even though I had some recovery time I had obligated myself to help Michelle’s grandmother do some work around her house. It is always interesting to help out at the house because between GGMa and GGPa there are some great stories and memories that they share. If you take the time and listen to those that are your elders you can pick up some great tidbits that may help you through your own life. About 3:30 it was back to the house for some more lounging around waiting for the ladies to return from the horses. I haven’t watched much NASCAR this year but I did get the chance to watch the last little bit of the race from Pocono. That track is so unique compared to all the tracks on the circuit plus it just went through a repave so I wanted to check it out. The ladies got home, cleaned up, and then it was out the door again to have dinner at the same house I worked at earlier. We all live in the same little village so going back and forth really isn’t a big deal. Going over to the grandparents’ house for dinner is always a treat. I don’t care what we have for dinner as much as I know I am getting ice cream after it is over. They have stocked shelves of Breyer’s. Tonight’s indulgence was Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup and oh man was it good. This is definitely not on the training diet but you might as well enjoy the treat when you can. Just because I am a competitor I had to check on the results from yesterday’s mud run. We had an official time of 1:40:42 which put us in the top 35% of the competition. Since we all stayed in a group I feel this was a good time for us. The winner had a time of 48:53. I think if we were being truly competitive we could have run faster but I don’t think I could match the winner’s time as my straight mile time would put me at that mark and I would still have to do the obstacles. In the grand scheme of things I got out of the event exactly what I wanted to. Tomorrow begins the next chapter of the summer training so there will be plenty to get out to you guys then. Good night, sleep well, and be real to yourself. Remember, it is better to be hated for who you are than to be loved for who you are not.

Dirty Foot Adventure Run

Sometimes in life you need to push your comfort zones and do something you have never done. Today marked one of those days. Back in March I committed Michelle and myself to an obstacle course run. I had heard about them and that they were becoming a popular alternative to a standard running race. We had never done anything like an event such as this and really didn’t know how to train for something. You don’t usually choose to go off running in mud, creeks, and sand paths just for giggles. This led me to train as I thought I should. I started following Crossfit Endurance and began the process of getting ready for this unique event. Fast forward to June 9, 2012 and the race/event was upon us. We started with our standard breakfast of champions which consisted of an egg mcmuffin from McDonald’s with a diet Coke. Once on premises we realized these events are for real. There were people everywhere. Oh yeah, many of the people wear costumes. Some are more detailed than others but they are really into this type of fun. After we got through registration we finished up our final prep, which for me meant downing 2 bottles of water, hanging out in the porta potty, and chilling with our family that had come out to witness do this insanity. 10:30 came and it was time to go. We started out and within 200 yards we were soaked when we entered knee deep water. This was only a prelude of things to come. Traversing through the motocross track began our 5 ½ mile course. They had the sprinklers on and with the astonishing amount of rain that had accumulated on property the course was a muddy and sometimes slippery mess. After we got off the motocross track we hit the real course. The sun was shining brightly so the excursions through the woods were welcome reprieves from the heat and humidity of the day. We crossed creeks, slogged through mud bogs, and jogged through sandy trails. These were constant reminders that we weren’t having an ordinary jog. Some of the obstacles included balancing on a log to cross a creek, standing on a rope and holding onto a rope while crossing over a creek, and going over and under ropes while walking through the creek. These were tame and at times were welcome rests during the route. Since my shoulder surgery I have doubted my upper body strength and some of the obstacle today really tested this. We climbed an inverted wall, we had to hop over three walls that increased in height and then there were some major upper body tests. The first was the 20 foot high wall that had some foot and hand holds as well as ropes to help pull you up. I completed this one alright and once on top I looked down the other side and realized I had to get down. Oh yeah, I am scared of heights which will come into play later on as well. After completing the first wall we came around a corner and guess what, there was another one. The only difference this time was there were no foot holds. It simply had three ropes hanging down and we had to pull ourselves up and over. I couldn’t fail at this point because we were so close to the end. I fought and clawed and willed myself over the wall. We also had a rope swing into a massive mudhole that was actually quite refreshing. We traversed through a cattle corral weaving through ropes intertwined through the fencing, climbed massive bales of hay, balanced on logs and poles, and did I mentioned crossed creeks at least 15 times. Finally we were at the five mile mark and that’s when the ass kicking really kicked in. To finish the course we started by jogging through a mud bog, traversing through the creek and being required to duck under some poles. At this point the legs have hit the wall but the rest of the fun was about to take place. Starting the final push we climbed a sand hill, entered a flag pond walking across it while fighting not to fall in the many deep holes and exiting on the other side. Once out we jogged to a little triangle wall. This obstacle wasn’t hard but at this point you can see the finish and being tired takes over. After fumbling over the wall and entering another big water crossing the last obstacles were in sight. Getting down on my hands and knees really didn’t sound exciting but it was necessary. We had to crawl through the mud under barbed wire. After 75 feet of trudging through you caught a little break then you had to squat down to get through a concrete culvert pipe. After coming out the other end you got yourself through some tires piled up and then you squatted down again to go through another pipe. Have I mentioned that my legs were on fire at this point? The last two obstacles were in my grasp. The second to last was a 100 foot crawl on your belly through broken up pieces of watermelon. Yes, it was as gross as it sounds. There was also wire above you to keep you on your belly throughout the entire obstacle. Michelle and I came through and could see the family cheering us to the finish. The final obstacle was 125 foot swim across the swimming pond they have on site. No problem except in order to enter the swim you had to jump off a 20 foot high platform into the water. By the way, I am still scared of heights and when I looked down the water was way down there. Michelle and I grasped hands and prepared to jump. We had made it this far together and we were going to finish together. We made the leap and wow, the water felt amazing. I slowly swam across to the other side and waited for the other 4 people we had done the event with. We all exited the water and crossed the finish line together. We congratulated one another, turned in our scoring chips, and then celebrated by having an ice cold beer. I am so happy that Michelle and I decided to do this event. Brianna was too young to do it with us but she truly was frustrated that she couldn’t. It is neat to see her want to push herself as well. We had a great group to run with as well. Michelle and I met up with Meghan who is a trainer at FSC, her boyfriend and two of their friends. We pushed one another, cheered one another, and throughout just assured each other that we would see the finish line. The event was hard but very doable and also incredibly rewarding. Yes, we got dirty and had mud in places I didn’t think was possible but it was nothing a shower couldn’t get rid of. The teamwork displayed by all the participants was amazing. Everyone was willing to help anybody with an obstacle either by pulling, pushing, or cheering you over. We didn’t win but I feel that we competed well. We had a time of around 1:32 or 1:35. To me this was pretty good considering we ran 5 ½ miles and completed 30 obstacles. The next time Michelle and I do one of these will be in December when we compete in the Tough Mudder. This one will be 10-12 miles with about the same amount of obstacles. The next event we will be doing is the Scenic 17 Triathlon at the end of July hosted by WIU. Training for that starts Monday. My thought is if I keep myself uncomfortable I will continue to go and strive to be better. Sleep well and don’t call me early.

Golf, rain, and a mud run

Today would be considered the calm before the storm. This is a literal and figurative expression. The rains that soaked our area yesterday gave me just enough of a break to get in a fun round of golf this morning. It is always fun to hit the links of Lake Wales Country Club. Although I lost my match to Brad the golf was fun with Willie and Elfie in our foursome. The forecast for this morning didn’t bode well but the chance to play golf made me want to give it a go. The clouds were present in the beginning but by the end of the round the sun was shining brightly and the heat and humidity were high as well. Not long after we finished our round the sun disappeared and the rains came back. Oh well, my outside tasks were completed for the day so as far as I was concerned it could pour as much as it wanted to. This leads to the figurative part of the first sentence. Tomorrow morning Michelle and I will be participating in an obstacle course run at Dirty Foot Adventures in Ft. Meade. If you are interested in coming out it will be fun. The important thing about the rains today mean that not only are we going to have the five miles and thirty obstacles to traverse but now we can add in an inordinate amount of mud. Michelle and I have prepared for the conditions the best way we know how. We have our dri-fit clothing, extra clothes for afterwards, a few cold beers (cans, bottles aren’t allowed) as a reward for completing, and towels to clean up or at least attempt to clean up after our mud follies. The calm is sitting here tonight pondering what we are in for. We have done 5k’s, triathlons, Michelle has done cross-country trail rides on horses, I have raced harescrambles and 70 mile enduros but neither one of us has a clue what we have gotten ourselves into with regards to this. Do we run, jog, walk, fight for position, help each other, help others, or just wing it and do our best? Of course we will do our best but just not knowing what to expect is the storm in my mind. I guess new things bring a bit of trepidation but I remember how nervous we were when we did our first triathlon. I remember my first enduro, first tennis tournament, and all the other athletic firsts I have encountered. Added to the psychological storm is the actual forecast for tomorrow. A mud run/obstacle course run needs some water. I have raced in the rain and it is a different experience. I usually have an engine to power through the mud and slop. I’ve never really had to run on my own horsepower through calf deep mud. Michelle and I have scoured the forecast and realize that we will encounter not only the course but Mother Nature tomorrow. As tough as this could make the run it also makes us feel pretty good that we will push ourselves beyond our normal comfort zones to accomplish the task in front of us. I’m sure that I will have some cool stories about our shenanigans for tomorrow night’s post. Man, this is going to be cool.

Just a slow day in BP

Today was the last day of school in Polk County which means I can actually start my summer vacation tomorrow. All kidding aside, since I have been off for awhile longer than Michelle and don’t always help with the daily duties and try to pick up the slack with regards to getting Brianna to and fro. Since today was the last day of school this also meant it was time for the awards ceremony and piano recital. Babson Park Elementary is a great school with wonderful support from the staff and the parents. Actually it may be too good. With all the third, fourth, and fifth grade classes, parents, and grandparents to match there just wasn’t enough room for all to get a seat in the cafeteria. Who would have thought that an elementary school awards ceremony could garner standing room only status? It is really cool to see all the kids get rewarded for their efforts throughout the year. There were many repeaters (term used by the superintendent to explain kids getting multiple rewards) and some kids who received special recognition for overcoming obstacles to succeed. The kids got to dress up and many took the opportunity to show their style. Parents snapped pictures and took video. Do we actually go back and watch the videos that we take or does it just make us look like good parents? Either way isn’t really important because it is the moment that matters. Brianna looked beautiful and seemed to have a great day. After the awards ceremony many parents checked their kids out and called it a year. Brianna would not leave and wanted to help her teacher clean up the room. I think my kid is weird. I am not sure where she got the service gene but I am proud of her for who she is and the year she had academically. As I said, theoretically I am on summer vacation which means I should be able to chill out and relax. Well, that is about as far from the truth as it gets. Once the ceremony was over I contacted Jason and he went with me while I ate a quick bite so we could discuss some plans we have for the upcoming race season. I hope to have an ambitious announcement in the next couple of weeks regarding a really cool racing opportunity. Lunch meeting over it was time to go workout as soon as I could get my food to settle. The workout was put on hold for a couple extra minutes as I received a phone call which required me to do a little research on another project before I could go pump some iron. Assignment complete and it was off to the gym. Thank goodness the workout today was intense but short. This concluded the second part of the day. I received a nice surprise when GGMa called and asked if she could pick up Brianna from school. This was a welcome request as it allowed me to get home and cooled off before we had to leave for our 3:30 meeting. This meeting was near where we live but has many moving parts and could be a cool thing if all goes well. Nonetheless, it is allowing me to get an idea of things that interest me which is what growth is all about. After the meeting was over we had about 20 minutes to get Brianna home and ready for the piano recital. Unbelievably we made it to the recital on time, actually with time to spare, and overall it was a great success. Seeing children learn one of the arts is very refreshing and watching them perform in front of the crowd is also a great growth experience for them. To wrap up the busy day all of the family that had gone to the recital met at Woody’s for a nice dinner and some good conversation. Man, what a day. I can honestly say sitting here tonight writing my thoughts is the first time I have enjoyed the comforts of my home in almost 24 hours. Yes, I was here today but only to change clothes, meet people to leave, and change clothes again. Some people don’t enjoy being this scattered but for some reason I embrace the opportunity to do so many different things. I cannot imagine actually sitting around on my vacation. I feel that I have an awesome existence. The workout today was short but intense. It was only for 8 minutes and consisted of 5 power cleans and then directly into 7 burpees. This cycle was repeated until the clock ran out of time. I completed 4 rounds and used 105lbs for the power cleans today. Doesn’t sound like much but continually pulling weight and those freaking burpees made today just as tough as other days.

A new day, horses, and a workout

What a difference a day can make. After being all frustrated with the fact I wasn’t going to get done with my bike the sun came up and I started over. The excitement is building to a roaring crescendo with the approach of the last day of school. My mother is retiring, my wife is just excited to have another year under her belt and Brianna gets to play with her horses more. Today marked the second to last day of classes for the kids in the Polk County area. End of the year parties and award ceremonies dot the classrooms instead of nose to the grindstone learning. For some this is a sad time because school is their refuge, the one safe place where they feel like they belong and for others it’s the one thing holding them back from the free time they crave. I think I enjoyed the free time more than the work. I went to school as a means to and ends. If I didn’t do well in school I didn’t get to enjoy my free time. Like I was saying, the sun came up today, well kind of, although it was cloudy most of the day except for my running. I had a great day in the gym with my recovery workout and the run was quick and painful. Brianna and I had a tight schedule today after school due to the fact that the vet was meeting us at the barn for a check-up on Johnnie and Yonka had to have a check-up and get his teeth floated. Since the weather was not in our favor we donned our cool Moose Racing raincoats and started the process of bringing horses in to see the vet. As the rains fell the horses all had their turn with the vet. Shots and blood draws were the order of the day for most of the crew. After most of the horses had been through it was time for Yonka and the dental procedure. If you haven’t seen this you should watch a horse go to the dentist. I will just say you should be thankful your dentist doesn’t use a DeWalt drill with a foot long attachment. After being drugged and drilled the recovery process began. Just imagine one of your friends coming down after a good/bad trip and they have to stand up the entire time. Poor ole Yonka really is a bad drug taker. He took a little while longer than normal and still wasn’t completely back to his jovial self when we pulled out for dinner. Another cool thing about today was how friendly and accommodating Dr. Britt is. We invited Brianna’s cousins out to see the teeth get done. How cool for a kid to be able to stick his or her arm up into a horse’s mouth. I don’t mean a little prodding, I mean up to your sleeves on your shirt. They are always amazed at how far the teeth go back and the looks on their faces after realizing they felt the big old tongue and teeth of a creature far bigger than them. Once the dental issues were over the playing in the rain and letting horses back out into the field became the fun for the visitors. Like I said at the start of this, the sun came out today and I got to start over. Michelle and I had a business dinner to discuss some possible future plans. I tell you, I am so excited about what we have planned for this year. I told her tonight that I loved her and would see her some time next June. Our lives are taking some cool turns and if we can keep it all straight it should be one hell of a year. Tomorrow is the last day for some things and the first day for some others. Just like the most famous man in the world says, “Stay thirsty my friends!” Well, I’m thirsty for more and by jokey I think I have put myself right into it. Today’s workout was more of a recovery workout with an intense cardio session. The workout was a 5-4-3-2-1 that included squats, bar to chest pull-ups, and straight legged ab raises. I did 125 on the squats, did actual pull-ups and for the ab raises I did each set to failure (really trying to get that sexy stomach). The run was a tabata workout. This is 20 seconds on and 10 seconds off for 8 reps. It is only 4 minutes but it will exhaust your energy reserves. I completed all 8 reps and left with my head in the towel. Tomorrow the sun will come up again.

Bits and Pieces, Just not Enough

Today was day number four of the big bike rebuild. As days go it was quite a productive day. The engine went back together, the shock is remounted, the clutch and lever are all good, the subframe is back where it is supposed to be, and the bike is almost back to being a running machine. Almost back is the key phrase here. Today was about the joy and frustration of a project. After a nice lunch our hopes were high that we would run to the parts store, grab some fuel line, some needed fluids, and then go back to the shop (garage) and knock out the rest of the bike. The best laid plans are just that, plans. We got back and tinkered around with some odds and ends and we were ready to finish the tank assembly. This is where the problem came in. After poking, prodding, and possibly even cussing the realization hit that our grand plan of finishing the YZ today was not going to happen. This is where frustration comes into play. Honda has a commercial where all the people talk about wanting to ride. Well, I haven’t ridden in, I think, about one year. We are so close to being done but yet so far away. The parts have been ordered but now will not be here until Monday. The goal is within sight but the finish line just got a little further away. Enough about that sad story let me focus on customer service for a bit. What happened to it? Today I realized that people just really don’t give a damn or listen even when you are spending your hard earned money. My experience at the Chinese restaurant was the first example. When it is time to leave after eating why does it take 5 minutes for someone to come to the counter to take my money I owe? I think you should just be able to leave if no one shows up after 2 minutes. The second one was at the auto parts store. When you ask for something and pay but don’t receive the product why do I have to have another transaction to remedy their mistake? I shouldn’t have to. The salesperson should listen for what you ask for and also make sure that everything you ask for is present before you swipe your card. Just asinine that we have to put up with bad service. Thank God the economy is bad and people are begging for jobs because if it was good and everyone was employed and wasn’t worried about being replaced could you imagine how bad service would be. Lastly, I must brag on my awesome daughter. She has had an incredible year of school, has learned the importance of discipline, and also learned that the better you do the more you get. I love her and am very proud of her. No workout today, it’s late, busy day tomorrow revolving around horse’s teeth, and a beautiful family to keep happy. Keep those close to you happy and you can’t go wrong.

Enjoying the little things

For most people Monday is a drag since they had a nice weekend and the reality of work has hit them square in the head. To me Monday is a chance to hit the ground running, start the week off fresh and begin tackling the projects that lie ahead. After getting the Pod off to school the time had come to handle the domestic chores of a man who is off during the summer and whose wife isn’t off quite yet. Projects completed it was time to take on the workout that I knew was going to kick my butt. This workout was the longest one I have done to this point but I got it completed in just under two hours. Needing some food and running low on time I figured a run down to the local McDonald’s would get me some needed grub before I had to pick up Brianna from school. This was a great plan until while waiting in the drive-thru I realized I didn’t have my wallet. I didn’t have change, and I didn’t even have my secret stash of money. Oh well, now I am starving and I have to pick up Brianna in 10 minutes. I got Brianna and rushed back to the house so that she could practice before we went back to the school for her piano lesson. Still needing food I quickly made a four egg omelet with a glass of milk. That done it was time to get back to the school and listen to recital practice. After the lesson the day of running around was done. This leads me to the second part of the day. People appreciate the smallest of things. We are always looking for the big ticket item to make a good impression but there are times when just the tiniest of gestures does the trick. Today was one of those tiny days. Taking time to listen to Brianna practice piano let her know that I appreciate her effort to become better. There was the message from Michelle telling me to keep pushing while I was in the middle of my ass wrenching workout. There was the family dinner where we ate all the good food Michelle prepared. Michelle was preparing 80 bags of popcorn for her class party tomorrow. Brianna and I assisted while we listened to music. Just taking time to enjoy the small things really does make a difference. The last thing we did was work on that silly jig-saw puzzle again tonight. As a family we did nothing big today but it sure was fun just being together and enjoying all the little things we did. Today’s workout was extremely tough. It went as follows: 1 mile run followed by 100 pull ups, 200 pushups, and 300 squats followed by a 1 mile run. The exercises could be broken up however I needed them to be but the two runs must be done at the front and back. So here was how the day went. Pull ups: 55lbs assistance – 11, 7. 70lbs assistance – 9, 9. 85lbs assistance – 11, 9. 100lbs assistance –15, 10. 85lbs assistance – 13, 8. 102 total pull ups with assistance. Pushups: 15, 15, 11, 10, 10, 7, 10, 7, 12, 10, 4, 7, 7, 6, 7, 8, 8, 7, 8, 8, 8, 6, 7, and 4. 202 total pushups Squats: 50, 30, 30, 30, 40, 40, 40, 40. 300 total squats. Total time for the workout was 1:59:21.8. The hardest part was the pushups.

Persistence

Okay, okay I missed last night and now I’m knocking out another one in the same day. Sunday is a perfect day to clear your head and start the week on the right foot. I always thought that was a weird phrase. What happens if you are left footed like me? Oh well, another thought for another time. Actually, I was going to talk about persistence. Not persistence in a losing battle sense but using persistence with what you know is right or just accomplishing a goal. Michelle, Brianna, and I are currently working on a jig-saw puzzle. To us it is tough. We have made it over half way and should have it completed before the end of next week. We are being persistent and even a little patient with our endeavor. The puzzle is only 500 pieces but if you are not accustomed to doing these things they can become a little tedious. We have been so proud at our accomplishment as we see the picture taking shape. I do not share the same love of jig-saw puzzles as my 80+ year old grandmother who does 500 piece puzzles in her sleep. Today she had some of the family over to see her latest masterpiece. She had persisted and completed a 2,000 piece puzzle. It is 4 feet wide and 3 feet tall. This puzzle has taken her four weeks to accomplish. This is something that must take an amazing amount of persistence. The pieces look the same, the dexterity of the elderly isn’t always the smoothest, and as humans our minds tend to wander away from our goals. Being a society that enjoys instant gratification and everything else for that matter getting through a tough puzzle or task really is a good showing of what persistence has to offer us. My only level of persistence today has to do with pulling weeds. I don’t have a Homes and Garden type of yard and really don’t care. My weeds have taken over but I am determined to win the battle. I was out pulling and received a phone call that someone had hacked my twitter account. To remedy the issue I came inside and changed some passwords and to my surprise the prodigal son of the golf world was making an amazing run. Talk about persistence. This dude has been to the top and at one point worked harder than anyone to beat the absolute crap out of his competition. After some stupid mistakes his passion for golf disappeared. He has been making strides to right his ship and his persistence to get back on top are being shown with the fact that he has two wins and is now tied with the Golden Bear with 73 victories. Tiger and his persistence will be tested daily as he is expected to fail by some and succeed every time by others. Oh yeah, I went back out to my jungle and began pulling weeds again. Persistence pays off and I will win the battle. I surround myself with people who show high levels of persistence on a daily basis. This will from people shows me that struggle is good for us and that when we achieve the goal or finish the task there is a nice feeling of accomplishment since there was no give up. Over the next year my persistence is going to be tested. I refuse to hang up my competitive spirit so I have begun to set up my athletic schedule for the next year. Next Saturday Michelle and I will be competing in an obstacle course run. It will be at Dirty Foot which is near Ft. Meade. We will be in the 10:30 wave. The course is 5 miles with 30 obstacles. July 29th Michelle and I will be competing in the Scenic 17 sprint triathlon. It will be a ½ mile swim, 15 mile bike, and 5k run. In August I will begin competing again in the FTR harescramble series. I will be racing in the Senior B class with other guys who are 40+. This is a 14 race series that will run through April. I will be pushing my tennis team at FSC to levels they have never achieved. We will persist through the pain but the goal will be attainable. The process will begin in early September and be complete sometime in May. Some of the team along with Michelle and I will be competing in the Tough Mudder. This is a 10-12 mile obstacle course run that will be on Saturday, December 1. During the Fall tennis season one of my player’s has offered to be my new tennis coach. The team feels that I should start training and get back into the over 40 nationals. I haven’t trained for tennis in too many years to count. This is going to take a lot of persistence because my mind wants to play like I used to even though the body isn’t what it used to be. Lastly, in early June of 2013 I have been invited to participate in an amazingly tough event. I cannot speak of the details yet but when I do announce it I will be looking for support of all types. This will be an unbelievable accomplishment and I look forward to the training and completion of this. As you can see over the next year I am going to push myself beyond my comfort zone multiple times. The cool thing is that since I have put it out here I cannot back away. When I want to quit I have all of you to hold me accountable. Please hold me accountable and I promise you I will persist and accomplish all tasks listed above. Persistence is a pain in the ass but so is living with the regret of not doing what you set out to do.

Sometimes You Miss Some Things

There are times that being in the moment trumps all things. Yesterday was one of those days. Yes, I missed a day on the blog and for that I apologize. Time and opportunities don’t always see eye to eye and there are times that the opportunity available and the coinciding time leave us with decisions. For most of our lives we do what is best for us and our wellbeing but then there are those times that being there for the ones you love trumps all other things. Saturday during the summer months for me is whatever day. Yesterday was no exception. I got up early, laid in bed watching some European PGA, checked twitter, facebook, and just enjoyed the tranquility of the moment. Finally around 9:30 I got up and fixed some breakfast and got ready to workout. Michelle and Brianna headed out for an extensive visit to the barn. Brianna needed to work with her own horse, Johnnie, and she also needed to work with the little pony she has been charged with turning into a good girl. Michelle needed to spend a little time with Yonka just so they can continue their bonding process. This large space of time gave me a chance to get some laundry done and hit the gym. The workout itself was short and tough but I added some new music to the arsenal, at least for me, and I feel that I can do about anything while listening to it. If you get a chance check out the music of Explosions In The Sky. If you have seen Friday Night Lights you have heard some of their music. I digress but music has been proven to help us get through workouts and push more weight for more reps. It works for me so I will keep doing it. Workout complete it was time to get back to the house and knock out some more laundry. The glamorous life of this tennis coach is much understated. I very much enjoy my time away from the courts. Some coaches head off to work camps while others run their own. I would rather rebuild my desire to make my team better by studying other things that interweave into my style than babysit kids sent away to get out of their parents hair. Most of the time you are not teaching those kids tennis but you are merely trying to get them not to kill the others and keep them from passing out from actually receiving exercise. To help my own growth I read articles related to sport, business, psychology, and even articles outside of those worlds just to see if something fits my needs. There are also videos of training, amazing accomplishments, and just cool other stuff that stokes my fires to be better when August rolls around. That’s how I roll during the summer. Oh yeah, I also have to sit down twice a month to pay bills and yesterday was the first day of two so I knocked that out too. So far there has been nothing that would have kept me away from my daily dose of writing. Just wait, I’ll get there. Sometimes life takes different paths than originally were set. Our life path took a different road about two months ago when received Michelle’s new horse. With it came joy, excitement, and the responsibility of some additional outlays of money we were not anticipating. This is important because now the story of why is beginning to take shape. While I was finishing up bills Michelle and Brianna got back from the barn and Brianna had a friend with her. She and her friend were going to spend the night at Brianna’s grandparent’s house. This gave me the perfect opening to add a little joy into my beautiful wife’s life. You see, yesterday was also the Brother’s of the Sun Tour opener in Tampa. This was originally going to be a fun event for us but with some of our new responsibilities it just wasn’t going to happen. There was no real sadness because we have such a great life just a little disappointment that we were missing an event that Michelle truly enjoys. We have seen 4 of Kenny’s concerts and were just excited to see him and Tim together. Michelle also likes seafood but will not indulge due to our daughter’s allergy to shellfish. Since Brianna was spending a little time with a friend it was time for us to enjoy at least something. Even though Red Lobster isn’t the coolest place to go for seafood it is close and they have cold drinks. Oh, and we had gift cards so we were going to have a free date. After some time sitting at the bar like real adults we enjoyed a great dinner and some really good conversation. Taking Michelle out on a date is something I truly enjoy doing. It is fun watching her just throw an outfit together and maybe even do her hair a little differently because we have time. Seeing her let her guard down and just enjoy the people around and the food is something I don’t get to enjoy in our normal life on a daily basis. By the time dinner was done we were stuffed and satisfied. When we got home we cuddled up on the couch and watched some mindless television and fell off into a deep slumber that lasted until the morning. There are times that mean more than my writing. Last night was one of those nights. Saturday’s workout was short but extremely tiring. It started with 1:23 in what is called hollow rocks. Then I accumulated 1:01.7 in total time on a 2 minute clock for L sits. I can’t really do L sits so I put my feet up on a dumbbell and pushed myself up to parallel until I couldn’t hold up any longer. After these two exercises the rest of the workout was three exercises done for three rounds as fast as possible. 12 ring push-ups, 12 goblet squats at 50 lbs, and 6 broad jumps. I did three rounds in 11:22.8 and felt like I might hurl after I was done. Good day and good food.

Golfing in the Rain

Summer time in Florida means golf for the locals. It’s hot, the snowbirds have gone home, and the courses need the business. This is all positive for a bunch of hack-a-rounds who have their Fridays off. The employees at WIU have Fridays off during the summer which means that some of the coaches and staff put together groups and hit the links for a little environmental study. The group moves to different courses around the area and enjoy some nature via golf carts. Most of the time they play early enough to avoid the weather, but hey it’s Florida and at some point it will rain. This is where I come into the story. Even though I don’t work at WIU I have a few connections with the school so I sneak in with the groups because I too enjoy looking for earthworms in divots created by small shovels, I mean irons. Today the course of study was Grenelefe. This place used to be a beautiful place full of people but now it is merely a shell of its former self but it still has a golf course and that’s good enough for me. The weather today was suspect from the beginning. Little spits of rain and showers peppered us from the beginning. Deep down I didn’t want it to pour on us because we had Pops (Dad) out with us today. Besides the regulars of Brad and Tyler we had Pops and he is always good for a laugh or 20 out on the course. We played through the mist and showers and all was going smoothly. Smoothly is a relative term when it comes to us playing golf. Balls disappear, grass gets removed, and balls get washed not by the ball washer machines but by the ponds that dot the course. There are some amazing shots both good and bad. There are times we look like we know what we are doing but most of the time we commune with nature. By this I mean the fairways stay fairly safe with us on the course. We tour the woods, the condos, and the bushes. I should carry a herpetology book and maybe an entomology book just to learn a little more about my surroundings. As the round continued I began to learn a little about the golfer I have become. Maybe it is because I just turned 40 or maybe it is just because I hate sucking. What I have learned is that I can play lower a lot of the time instead of trying to play over things. I also learned that most of the time if I play in front of the hole I score much better. I employed this strategy and really was enjoying my new found style of play. Oh yeah, did I mention that it was still raining. After the first nine I found myself only one stroke off of my brother. Okay, he was playing crappy but I was playing pretty well. Maybe it was the lack of sun and the cooling rain that was helping me. As we started the back nine I could feel that this was my day. The rains were just drizzles and I knew that I could play my way to a victory. Golf is a finicky beast. On the par 5 12th hole I caught a massive break. I teed off and all of a sudden I had one of those “oh shit” moments. My ball had come off dead left and was heading towards the out of bounds but worse than that it was aimed straight at one of the nice homes that dot the course. This time luck was on my side. Just as the ball crossed the out of bounds markers it hit a baby oak tree and careened 90 degrees to the right and landed just off the fairway. Oh yeah, this is the day. I’m a little far back but I can still get there in three. With my new found game I took dead aim at the dog leg left and was going right under the trees. I did for about 75 yards. Remember golf being finicky, well that was repayment for giving me a break. I finished the hole with a double bogey and now it was pouring. Not drizzling but dripping off your hat pouring. We thought it would pass so we teed off on the par 3. The biggest question was does the rain knock the ball down? After a brief discussion we quickly finished the par 3 and took shelter. By now we all look like we have been swimming and the only shelter is an old cabana that had a porta potty for a restroom. Being ever optimistic I pulled up the radar and at first glance I told them that we would be back on the course in 15 minutes to finish this dream round. The other three just kind of smiled and left it alone. Not only is golf finicky but mother nature is as well. She had supplied us with cooling shade and an occasion shower and now as we were about as far away from the clubhouse you can be she unleashed her fury on us and never gave in. Sometimes things just don’t go your way. Needless to say we did not finish the round and the questions will burn until next Friday when we try again. Even though I don’t know how it was going to finish I wouldn’t have traded the day for anything. Spending time with Dad, Tyler, and Brad while competing on a completely fun basis just is really hard to match and the summer is too short to sit inside because it might rain. Get out there and enjoy the day. Sometimes it’s sunny and cold and sometimes it is rainy but either way you have 24 hours to enjoy the day you are given. Before the golf I hit the gym for my workout. Today’s workout consisted of 8 rounds of 3 bench press every 1:15. After this session the main workout was as follows: 5 rounds of 30-1:00 of holding your breath then 6 burpees, 9 kettle bell swings, and 12 double jumps with the jump rope. I never made a full minute but was able to get to 43 seconds by the last time. I did all five rounds and did the kettle bell with a 30 pound dumbbell. It was a good workout and really did a good job taxing my systems. Enjoy your weekend and get outside.